Jamaica 11 ch14 Assimilate

assimilate                         iopop
----------------------------------------
 hi and welcome to a new chapter in
jamaica. here we're going to write about
all noise that can go under the name of
SYNTH. and that is not small. we're not
just going to review new or old records
but also give you some news, a list of
comming releases. that's the mainly
things but sometimes you might get some-
thing else.

 i'm also searching for co-editors for
this chapter. who will write own reviews
leave news and so on. especially some-
one in GERMANY but the rest of the world
will also be fine. i can also tell you
that if you are interested in swapping
tapes then just send a disc with a list
of your music. and i'll return it with
a list of mine.

 another thing : i'm searching for old
or new music magazines like: new life,
sub-line or any other mag.

 it would also be fine if someone would
tell what he/she thinks about this chap-
ter. is it worth writing about? no one
maybe listens to synth or is interested
in synth then there's no point to write
this.


first let's have some reviews of some
records release the latest months.


our grade system works like this:

***** masterpice, buy 2 just in case.
****  good, buy it today.
***   ok, worth the money.
**    not ok, not worth the money.
*     pure shit!



            VIRTUAL ENERGY 2

 energy rekords is once again giving a
compilation of some of there bands. this
cd is specially made to wake the germans
interest for energy. as it was given out
for free if you were at a energy
festival in germany this spring. were
spock, elegant machinery, pouppee
fabrikk and devoid played. just to give
energy some more publicity.


 first out is POUPPEE FABRIKK with their
harsh techno death. after being in daf 2
trauma for some years they really made
something new. both betrayalizer and
brigade is heavy stuff.

 second out is CULTIVATED BIMBO, also
with a new sound. industrial hip-hop
like consolidated. 98.6 is a beautiful
track while major breakdown is a little
bit too boring.

 INSIDE TREATMENT have been very silent
for a long time but are now back with a
new cd. the ambient-body they are
presenting is really cool. estate of
insanity is a fast track and the world
outside is alot more slower and dreamier

 english DEVIOD (x-technoquake) is
playing a strange technotrash.
got to hell and new blood are the tunes.
new blood is breathing alot sisters of
mercy a' la 1984.

 beatuiful synthpop is presented by
ELEGANT MACHINERY. both hard rain and
shattered grounds is full of strange
noises and much good melodies.

 S.P.O.C.K have ofcourse included their
kult-tune NEVER TRUST A KLINGON but i
can't understand why they included
beam me up? i must tell you that when
my brother heard NEVER TRUST A KLINGON
he liked it alot and just had to play it
loud. the consequence was that one loud-
speaker on his stereo CRASHED! i guess a
klingon was there!

 SCAPA FLOW is a group that also have
been silent for some time. but are now
back in full speed to give some new
noise. sea sick and shell of sanity is
surely showing that they havnt forgot
how to do music. too bad that the voice
sometimes drowns in all sounds.

 TICKET TO WONDERLAND have been digging
deep in FLA's last record. ambient and
dreamlike. read more about them later
on. the tunes presented here is eclipse
and inspiring rain (chemical fun mix).


 this cd is a good introduction to
energy rekords. but the music styles of
the groups is very different. so you
have to have a wide music taste to like
all tracks. but if you just heard some
of the groups and want to hear what
more energy can give you. then it's a
good investment as the cd is a mid price
cd.

grade:***


             CHILDREN WITHIN

                 astraia


the first time i heard this cdm was
around 2.30 in the morning. i had been
on holiday with my family. and we had
just arrived home. i looked trough the
post and one of the envelopes contained
this cdm. directly i went to my room and
put it on the stereo. and out of it came
the most beautiful synthpop.

 children within is playing synthpop
with a space theme. but it's no SPOCK
rip. no they have found an own style.

 on the cdm you'll find 2 versions of
astraia, 3" virgin mix and the album
version, the first one is the best. as
it's more speeded up. the second tune,
the obvious truth (raido transmission
mix), has also the same quality. and is
sometimes better then astraia. the third
tune r21? (fusion mix) is a older tune
but not bad because of that.

 the only thing that can decrease the
overall grade is that the cdm is just
3 inch big. it doesn't work on all cd-
players. too bad!

 i just hope the whole cd, the countless
galaxies, will be as good as this cdm.

grade:****


          TICKET TO WONDERLAND

        dream of a purple turtle


 the first time i listened to dream of a
purple turtle did i have very big
thoughts about it. and i became quite
dissapointed when it didn't fill up my
thoughts. but now everything have
changed. dream of a purple turtle is
the best cd i've bought this year! and
it's not just because ticket to wonder-
land have, (as everybody else says),
"digged very deep in the last front line
assembly record". no, they have mixed
that with their own ideas.

 although some tracks are instrumental,
has the singer, johan nilsson, a good
voice. he is also playing the guitar.
and kristian pettersson is making the
rest of the music.

 the tunes you'll find on this cd is:

 1. hypnohaze
 2. mindcrash
 3. weightless and happy as a lark
 4. inspiring rain
 5. eclipse
 6. wired
 7. prophet pill
 8. purple spots
 9. dreamsphere
10. tranquilizer

 just a look at the names of the tunes
will reveal what kind of we are talking
about. yes, a mix of ambient-techno and
cyber-techno. energy rekords wrote like
this: "hypnotic electro with ambient and
pop elements. front line assembly meets
the orb." sounds ok to me. just to look
through the 4 pages short cover is a
psycho trip.

grade: *****


              BLUE FOR TWO

              international


 international is the first release from
blue for two since they signed on energy
in late 1993. though it's not there
first release. no, blue for two is no
newcommers. they always know what to do
and freddie waldings is in my opinion
the best male singer in sweden.

 the john foxx cover, international is
a good track. filled with acoustic
guitars, background choirs and other
dreamlike sounds. it is also a remix of
it where some more sounds have been put
on and some have been removed. this one
is also slower.

 the first time i heard moonmilk, which
is the second tune, didn't i like it too
much. but the more you listen to it the
better is will be. also this one is abit
dreamy.

 to put a name on the music that blue
for two is playing is impossible. it's
just a mix of everything. with the base
on synthezisers. they have never any
fear to take influence by jazz, blues
or anything else that can go under the
name music.

grade:***

                -- -- --

time to get informated!


 ELEKTRIC MUSIC's new album will
probably come this autumn and there will
be released 3 singles from it. the first
one will come in august/september. karl
bartos have been working with ELECTRONIC
and their new album which have been very
delayed. perhaps it will reach the
market now in october.

 MOBILE HOMES new single, "turn off the
silence" was mixed by lothar manteuffel
and ralf beck during the winter but for
some reason it isn't released yet.
the tune is actually not written by
mh but by a guy in hamburg. elektric
music have also chosen five songs they
think they will produce for hm's new
album. MOBILE HOMES have recently cele-
brated their 10 years of existance.

 FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY's new album
"millennium" would have been out the
last week in may, but is delayed to
september/october. leeb and fulber is
also planning to release an INTERMIX
album this autmn.

 PIGFACE released a new album, "notes
from the underground" the actual member-
status looks like:

martin atkins   (revco, minstry, killing
                 joke)
nivek ogre      (SKINNY PUPPY)
jello biafra    (dead kennedys, lard)
alex pattersson (the orb)
flea            (red hot chili peppers)
and the japaneese girlgroup,
SHONEN KNIFE!

 TWICE A MAN will release a single from
the album "fungus & sponge" in may. it
will contain "shivanayama" in four
versions(inclusive the original) plus
"shiba sky" in a new mix. a video of
"shivanayama" is also recorded. this
autumn will there come a following of
"collection of stones" - "a line of
moments". it will be released on CD-ROM,
as well as usual cd.

 ENERGY REKORDS have started a under-
label for ambientmusic called CASCADE.
first out with records is MINDPOP and
LCD. mindpop consists of members from
ticket to wonderland and mortal memories

 CAT RAPES DOG's old company kk records,
in belgium, have released a bootleg! kk
has nothing to do with crd anymore so
energy have sued kk. crd have also
released a compilaton of old stuff plus
2 unreleased tracks. "more than you bar-
gained for" is the name of it all. but
the waiting for a new album won't be so
long. they have already booked studio
time and the album would come soon.

 cevin key in SKINNY PUPPY was hurt when
he fell of a bonnet during the recording
of a new cyberfilm in which he's acting.
their new album is therefore delayed.

 AND ONE had got a new member on
keyboards, jan, and they are working on
their new album in machinery's dpendance
studio in finland. the single "when the
feet hurts" won't be released. instead
came a single called "driving with my
darling" where the "when the feet hurts"
is included as an extra tune. alex have
recorded a soloalbum on mohamma records
and joke where offered to be PANKOW's
new singer but refused.

 blixa bargeld, EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN,
will play the devil mephisto in a
setting of goethes "faust" in potsdam.
which is situated outside berlin.

 S.P.O.C.K have been out for unlucky
things. cybernoid is reported missed
after an spacefight. a new live man had
to be found, and his name was polariod.
polaroid is usually called johan billing
and plays in the group S.P._<5b>.C.K which
is a group that play spock covers!
spock is also recording a new album.
hopefully cybernoid have come back!

 after being delayed many times now can
we hope that NITZER EBB's new album will
come out. someday in september is it
said. and probably a single some week
after.

 TICKET TO WONDERLAND is going to use
their money they got, from the swedish
national council for cultural affairs,
for their new cd to release "the dream-
sphere" on cd single. it will contain
new mixes and be around 40 minutes long!
but it will be sold for cd single price.

 the boss on mute records, daniel miller
started a new project around KRAFTWERK;
TRANS SLOVENIAN EXPRESS is the cd you
should look for where a lot of slovenian
bands are making kraftwerk covers. some
i can mention is LAIBACH and BORGHESIA.


now a list of comming cd's.

group              recordcompany
-----              -------------

and one            machinery
automatic (x-deo)  energy
blue for two       energy
cat rapes dog      energy
dance or die       machinery
das ich            danse macabre
die krupps         energy
elektric music     spv
front line assembly third mind
in the nursery     third mind
intermix           third mind
laibach            mute
lcd                energy/cascade
mobile homes       hawk
musilimgauze       staalplaat
new mind           machinery
nitzer ebb         mute
omala              frequent frenzy
s.p.o.c.k          energy
skinny puppy       american recordings
snog               machinery
swamp terrorists   simbiose
twice a man        yellow


well, i guess that was all for this time
but please tell me what you think about
this chapter!


         that's all, good night!




        when i look in the mirror

             all that i see

              is an animal

          that wants to be free